Improvement in car-axle-box lids



JAOOB KINZER, OF PITTSBURG, FENNSYL'VANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-AXLE-BOX LIDS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2l1,54, datedFebruary 4, 1879; application filed November 21, 1878.

To all whom it may concern: I

Beit known that I, Jnoon KINZER, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny.State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and usefulImprovement in Oar-Axle-Box Lids; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawin s, making a part of thisspecification, in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure 1 isa perspective view of my im proved axle-box lid closed upon the face ofthe box. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of tl csame; and Fig. 3, bya like sectional view, illustrates a modification in the arrangement forvarying the tension of the spring.

My invention relates to an improved arrangement of a spring upon anaxle-box and lid, whereby the elasticity of the spring may be madeoperative in holding the lid to its box, or inoperative, at pleasure.

In the drawings, A represents the face of a car-axle box, and B the lid,the two being hinged together, in the usual way, by means of ears a aand b l), and bolt 0, which passes through registering-holes in theears, and is secured by key d. The lid is held to its seat on the box bymeans of a spring, S,one end of which bears on the lid near its frontedge, as at c, and the other end on a rest, a, made on the hex over thehinge, and between the cars a a, while a third or intermediate bearingis provided by a flange, 71, extending down from a cap or box, H, whichis riveted to the lid, so as to span or cross the line of the sprin Thepressure of this flange it upon the spring, the end bearings'beingfixed, will determine the tension of the spring, and the rest a beingstationary, the end of the spring bearin g on {She lid will operate tohold the lid upon the i ox.

I prefer to give the rest na form slightly eccentric to the center ofmotion of the lid,

' and arrange such eccentricity so that the point of greatest bearing ofthe spring shall be intermediate between the opened and closed positionsof the lid. The spring will then operate to hold the lid when open, aswell as press it upon the face of the box when closed.

If the spring S were fixed in position relatively to the bearings e andh, the lid could be hinged in place only by compressing or .be inserted,or, in'case the lid were being re moved, until such bolt could beremoved.

Such tools are not always at hand, and I provide for making the springinoperative during such hingin g and unhin gin g operation by making thespring movable eridwise upon its bearin gs, and also providin gadepression, 0',

between the bearings e and h, into which the end of the spring may sinkas it is moved endwise, as shown in fulllines, Fig. 2. The depth of thisdepression is such that when the end of the spring rests in it, asshown, the spring will lie upon or between the bearings h and a.

without being compressed or put under ten- S101]. A rivet, s, or othersuitable head or stop on the lid end of the spring, engaging with theflange h, will prevent the spring from being drawn out from under thecap H, so as to become separated from the lid. This I consider animportant advantage, since lids are made and shipped in considerablequantities for the purpose of replacing broken ones, and if the springscould become separated they would in many cases be lost.

The bearing 6 and depression 6 are con nected by a curved or inclinedsurface, as seen in section, Fig. 2, so that by blows with a hammer orother suitable tool upon the hinge end of the spring it may be driven orforced endwise until the lid end, riding up the incline or curve between0 and e, bears well upon the bearing 0, when the spring will be undertension and operate as described.

If desired, the bearing 0 may be rounded over to the front edge of thelid, and a slight proj ection, s, made on the under side of the end ofthe spring, which, locking against the front receding side of thebearing, will prevent the spring from working endwise by jarring, so asto be freed from action. I also make side walls 2', which bound thebearing 0 and de pression e on either side and prevent the lateraldisplacement of the adjacent end of the spring; and, if desired, theseside walls may be carried out over the front edge of the lid, along withthe lip l, to form a handle for convenient raising of the lid. The lip lalso serves as an end stop for the spring, and, in connection with thewalls '5, prevents the spring from being drawn out from under the cap Hin that direction.

The spring may easily be forced endwise off the bearing e, so as torelieve it from action, by driving against the head 8 with anyconvenient implement.

Instead of making the spring movable endwise on and off the bearing 0, awedge-shaped bearing, 7, Fig. 3, may be arranged between the flange hand spring S, and made movable up and down between the two, whileupturned ends 4' will prevent its becoming separated from the lid. Inthis modification the lid end of the spring is loosely riveted orsecured to the lid, so as to be capable of some vertical movement, andby driving the movable and variable bearing 7' back and forth with anysuitable tool the spring will be relieved from or brought into action asbefore. 7

I prefer to make the upper end of the bearin g 1' thicker or deeper thanthe lower, as shown, so that it shall be driven down or toward the frontof the lid when the spring is in action; and I also prefer to make aslight excess of thickness a little way from the upper end, as at 0, soas to offer resistance to the upward working of the bearing, caused byjarring and the pressure of the spring. Such excess of thickness willoperate as a lock to hold the bearing in position.

Considerable difficulty has also been experience in fitting spring-lidsto the face of the box, as it requires closer work in order to securethe requisite degree of exactness than is usually given to this class ofcastings; and i when attempt is made to fit the lid when it is beinghinged to the box, the tension of the spring employed adds to thedifficulty, unless provision is made, as above described, for relievingthe spring from action while it is bein g fitted; and to furtherfacilitate such fitting, I prefer to make the lid of malleable iron, sothat by the blow of a hammer it may be bent to conform to the face ofthe box, and to hinge thereto without difficulty.

Lids constructed in accordance with my improvement can be shipped toconvenient points along the road, and used in new work, or to replacebroken ones, and applied by ordinary train-hands without the need ofspecial tools for the purpose.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In'combination with an axle-box andlid, a spring for holding the lid to the box, adapted to be brought intoand relieved from action by an endwise motion upon its bearings,substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with an axle-box lid, a spring adapted to hold the lidto its seat, and connected with the lid, substantially as described,whereby the spring is free to be moved endwise upon the lid, but isprevented from separation therefrom.

3. In combination with an axle-box lid, a spring and central bearing,one or the other of which is movable longitudinally along the face ofthe lid, whereby the spring may be thrown into or out of tension,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

J AOOB KINZER. lVitnesses:

J.'J. McOoRMIcK, CLAUDIUS L. PARKER.

